Listed in directories from the 1860s until around 1905. MB writes that it brewed its own ale until circa 1900, when Cock & Langmore then All Saints Brewery took over.
Thomas George Wilford served as mine host in the early 1860s.
In June 1868, teams of Bird Catchers and Pigeon Flyers held a novel cricket match on the pastures. The bird catchers all came from T. G. Wilford’s beerhouse, the County Arms, emerging from the pub dressed in a variety of coloured dresses in a procession that took in Wharf Street, up Rutland Street, down Granby Street, along Church Gate to the Pastures Cricket Ground, much to the amusement of passers by. The match itself was watched by thousands, played in a light-hearted vein, with the Pigeon Fanciers beating the Bird Catchers by six runs after two innings each. It was followed in the evening by a dinner at the County Arms.
Just before Christmas 1869, James Smith was accused of drunk and disorderly in the County Arms. Entering the pub, Smith offered to fight ‘the best man in the house.’ The waiter threw him out but he returned and threw a jug of water over the bar. There were around fifty people in there at the time. In his defence, Smith said he was a beer house keeper himself and when he entered the County Arms someone called him a ‘knobstick’ which enraged him. Fined 10/6 or seven days.
In August 1874, Wilford’s licence was objected to when a letter was sent to the Brewster sessions from ‘the ladies of Leicester’ complaining of widespread misery crime and disease traceable to the evils of drink and the County Arms. Thomas Wilford won his appeal against this the following month by showing that many ladies used his house. Sept of that year Wilford applied to up grade his beerhouse licence to an ‘old type full’ as pre 1830 beerhouse act. this was refused.
Wilford gave up the licence in 1875, and it was taken on by William Austin, who had been a waiter at the beerhouse. William White then became the owner of the business and licensee, May 1876 Emma Hemmings sister of the landlord whilst staying at the pub was assaulted when she had her baby in her arms by her husband Joseph Hemmings a militia man, who struck her to the ground before taking the baby, He also assaulted landlord William White, Joseph Hemmings who had previous for throwing a knife at Emma and hitting the baby, as well as assault on her on different occasions was sentenced to one months hard labour for assault on his wife also another months hard labour for assault on the landlord. Thomas Greenwood would follow as licensee 1879,
Samuel Tomkins July 1881, Albert John Hunt Dec 3rd 1881, on the same day Albert J Hunt transferred the licence to William Simpson, before apparently regaining the license again before transfer to James Clarke April 1882, Henry Heath Feb 1884, although in March 1885 Henry Heath of County Arms was charged with receiving stolen goods re two pair of boots, stolen from a shop in Carlton St. Henry Heath was given bail on sureties of £100 before being sent to the Assizes. At the Assizes the two burglars who stole and sold the boots were given 9 months hard labour, Henry Heath was found not guilty by the jury and so discharged.
Wiliam Needham 1894, Wm Arthur Shelton 1895, Thomas Haycock 1897 (deceased) Sarah Ann Haycock 1899, James White 1900, John Edward Spencer 1906, John Edwin Haynes 1908, James Thorne 1909. Sept 1915 Thomas Nash aged 89 a regular in the County Arms called in, had 1/2 pint before going out into the yard where he was found having fallen, landlord Thorne helped take him home in Denman St, Nash was transferred to the Poor Law Infirmary where he died the next day. The coroner recorded the death caused by senile decay accelerated by a broken leg.
The County Arms licence was refused and then closed in December 1915 under the Compensation scheme. £825-10/- paid to the brewery, £180 to the tenant,
